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Category Archives: Blog Awards

Wow, another award! This time it is from fellow author Tanya Watts who wanted to thank me for being an author who helps other authors. As you may know, I offer interviews for authors with newly released books.

So this award is the Versatile Blogger Award, and I have seen it around the blogosphere a lot, and now I have the honor of being its recipient.

Here I go with the rules:

1. Display the Award Certificate on your blog2. Announce your win with a post and thank the blogger who nominated you.3. Post 7 interesting things about yourself.4. Present 15 deserving bloggers with the award.5. Link your nominees in the post and let them know of their nomination with a comment.

Here are 7 interesting things about me. I hope they’re not the ones I mentioned with previous awards:

1) My favorite song of the moment is Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14. So beautiful, so haunting.

2) I will be going as a Greek goddess for Halloween this year.

3) That is because I lost over 20 pounds in the past year!

4) The last time I saw a movie in the theater was Les Miserables last December. I’m trying to decide on what movie would be worth the $12 – $15 to spend

5) My all-time favorite Broadway show is The Phantom of the Opera. I’m one of those fans who sees the romance and seduction rather than the Phantom’s insanity.

6) It’s October, and I still haven’t gone to an Oktoberfest party yet. Shame!

7) I need to go to the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade. I haven’t gone since 2000. 😦

Here are my 15 nominees. I’ve chosen those who I met during Follow Fest:

Fellow vampire novelist, Franics J. Franklin, nominated me for an award he created for vampire enthusiasts. He nominated a few weeks ago and I’m only getting around to receiving now mainly because I wasn’t sure which vampire to interview. My vampires are the villainous type, so who should I feature while making the interview somewhat entertaining?

After checking out how the other blog award nominees interviewed their characters, I decided to take a big risk and interview…Daniel Bertrand, née Poncher, Claire’s boyfriend who is secretly a bloodthirsty vampire and wants to make her one, too.

Brace yourselves…

MC: Good evening, Daniel.

DB: (bored tone) Evening.

MC: You look well rested. Had a good, er, day?

DB: Yes.

MC: OK, let’s get started. Where do you come from?

DB: I was born nearly 700 years ago in medieval France, in Paris actually. I was the bastard son of a nobleman and a peasant woman. I was a disgrace and treated as such. Even though my father acknowledged me and I was given more privilege than most other illegitimate children in those days, I was still a disgrace. It was a terrible heavy weight on my shoulders.

MC: Who made you, and why? Was it by choice, or was the choice made for you?

DB: Two people played a role in my transformation. I knew Hilde for a couple of years at, what you would call, a pub that she ran with who I thought was her husband. But when the bubonic plague took away my wife and two children, and I thought I was next to go, Hilde offered me eternal life, though not in the way everyone knew back in. She was, and still is, a strong-willed person who really enjoys being in charge and in control. She saw a chance to, I guess, nurture someone who needed it when she met me. She also likes having men at her feet, because its a power trip for her. Michel was the other vampire who transformed me. Hilde took my blood while Michel gave me his. That was done to balance the power struggle between the two, like most couples, and because Michel was recently given the privilege of creating vampires, and I was his first opportunity.

MC: What role does gender play in vampire society?

DB: In many ways, it keeps the same social norms the original vampires, known as the Five Brothers, had from their tribe 5,000 years ago. The men are in charge, but there is room for the women to have a powerful influence too. It’s not like all the female vampires are expected to be passive and submissive. But its more like the men are the gateways of power in our world. Meaning, if a powerful male vampire takes a liking to a strong female one, she gets more leeway. (pauses) Of course, this is more likely because our leaders and originators are male.

MC: What was your first feed/kill like?

DB: (shrugs) I was thirsty. My new instincts set in and I did what I had to do.

MC: But were you upset that you killed someone? You didn’t feel remorse or self-loathing?

DB: (stares coldly at me) You learn to forget about those things once you realize you’ve been given the best life possible.

MC: So, what’s it like to be a vampire? How is it so great?

DB: I have the freedom a human would envy. First of all, I can live forever. Immortality is something every human has dreamed about, and some have searched for it. But the first of our kind found the way, and that is why I honor them so much. Secondly, I have supernatural skills: read and erase thoughts, move at an abnormal speed, the strength of ten men. Any human would be envious of that, and also, it has given me what I’ve wanted. Whether it be wealth, priceless art, or a certain professional opportunity, I can have it, and no human would realize what is happening. And if they do, they’ll be sorry (smiles).

MC: If you live forever, or for thousands of years, and are difficult to kill, and are very strong and powerful… how do you not become a sociopath? And go off and start doing anything you want and acting on any impulse?

DB: We vampires don’t really care about your labels or personality disorder diagnoses. We live in our own separate world with our own norm. You are just a nutrient for us, just like a chicken or a pig is to you. We care about each other. That’s enough.

MC: Do you miss food, the sun, or your heartbeat more?

DB: I can eat or drink human food, but I don’t need it. It just goes right through my system with little impact. I eat to hide my vampirism. I did miss the sun early on, but as I grew older, I became strong enough to finally go out in it. But I can’t be in the sunlight too long or else it would tire me. As for my heartbeat, I’ve gotten used to that. I’m still living, still moving around, so I don’t need it.

MC: Would you date a werewolf?

DB: A what?

MC: Nevermind. Is sex that much more enhanced than before? Do you feel your sexual drive is greater than before?

DB: After I was made a vampire, my sex drive improved dramatically. I had no fear of going to hell over lust, or how often I had sex or with who. I even learned to push my boundaries in terms of orientation, though I have always leaned more toward women.

MC: If you had the choice to no longer be a vampire – to just be a human again – would you go for it?

DB: I’ve already answered that question.

MC: Well yeah, you did. OK, thank you for your time.

DB: Is this interview over?

MC: Yes it is.

DB: Good, thank you. (gets up and leaves using vampire speed; is gone in an instant).

MC:(shudders) Glad that’s over. As part of this nomination, here are 11 facts about me:

1) This year, I did something a little reversed compared to most people I grew up with. Originally from Staten Island, NY, I moved to Brooklyn back in May. Most people leave Brooklyn to live on Staten Island, but Brooklyn appeal to me more.

2) I have lost over 30 pounds in the last year. Yes I did! I followed the Weight Watchers plan, learned to control my food intake and made wiser dietary decisions. I also am walking a lot more these days.

3) I have been doing yoga on and off for over ten years, and I’m starting it again. I love the physical challenge it brings, but lately I’ve been appreciating its mental challenges too.

4) As I much as I love New York City and enjoying my new life in Brooklyn, I hope to live somewhere else when I’m married and ready to have kids. NYC is great, but it is ridiculously expensive here.

5) I’m adding vegetarian and vegan food to my diet. No, I am not converting, as I am still much the carnivore. I am simply expanding my meal options.

6) I wish I could paint. If I had the time, energy and money, I’d take a painting class. It looks so relaxing, and I’d love to paint flowers or sunsets.

7) If I were allowed to vacation anywhere in the world tomorrow, and it was free, I’d take a train ride up to Quebec. Montreal and Quebec City look so beautiful.

8) I was 13 years old when I first got into vampire stories, and I enjoyed them so much, I honestly wished I could be one! I guess the immortality, supernatural skills, and sensuality of vampires intrigued me too much.

9) If you think that’s bad, in high school, I knew a guy who told everyone that he was a vampire – and he wasn’t kidding either.

10) I once tried to make a skirt on my own as a teen. I saw a skirt made by Jean Paul Gaultier in Seventeen magazine, and since I’ll never be able to afford such clothes, I tried to make a skirt based on that. It didn’t work out though.

11) I’m finally discovering Led Zeppelin. Took me long enough, but I’m glad I did!

NOTE:I know I need to nominate three other vampire bloggers. Unfortunately, most have already been nominated and others don’t appear to do blog awards.

Today, fellow vampire author and blogging buddy, Francis J Franklin, nominated me for the Inner Peace Award. I am very flattered and honored to receive this award, which Frank gave to me due to our love of vampire fiction and my review of his novel.

Click here for the origins of this award

This award was started by Summer 4 Soul, who talks about inner peace and spreading love on her blog. She says:

We all are born with a pure heart. That ‘pure inside’ of you, will always be a part of you no matter what. And when you have a hard time, don’t ever quit believing in your goodness. Because it’s your gift to know and share about Peace, Love and Respect with every living being on earth and also important..with yourself.

Like all other blogging awards, I had to nominate someone in return. It didn’t take me long to choose Victoria Grefer, who’s writing blog is one of the most insightful I know. I also love how she engages with her readers and chats with them about the challenges and rules of novel writing. Ms. Grefer is indeed spreading peace in the blogosphere. I urge you to check it out!

You may have heard about the latest blog trend where authors “tag” each other and have them write about themselves and their work. It is kind of a way to help readers get to know authors.

Well, fellow author Rob Watts tagged me for The Next Big Thing. I accepted his tag and here I go with the questions:

1) What is the title of your next book/work?
I am currently working on the sequel to my first book, “The Dark Proposal” and it looks like I’ll be calling it “Blood Ties”.

2) Where did the idea come from for the book/work?I knew I wanted to write a trilogy when I came up with the idea for my first book. I had two ideas for a vampire story and I figured it would be best to combine the two. “Blood Ties” will essentially be about how Claire McCormick adjusts to being a vampire while trying to maintain her humanity. She has to choose to be loyal to her fellow vampires – remember she never really wanted to be one – or be loyal to humanity. Life is getting tougher for vampires and she has to decide who’s side she is on.

3) What genre does your book/work fall under?
My book is an Urban Fantasy.

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Good question because I usually envision actors playing my characters if they ever came to the big screen. Maybe for the role of Daniel, I would choose Tom Weston-Jones who is on the BBC America show Copper. He looks similar to the way I described Daniel, he is about the age Daniel turned into a vampire, and I think he can play the conniving, cold character my antagonist is.

As for Claire, there are some actresses I think fit her physically, but I do not know if they can pull off her personality.

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
A young woman is forced by her vampire boyfriend to choose eternity, or death to those she loves.

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I’ll be honest. Although I self-published my first book, I’m looking for a small publishing house for the sequel. This is because self-publishing is very time consuming, which is tough when you have a full time job (I didn’t have one when I released “The Dark Proposal”). So to save time and energy, I hope to find a publisher to release my books.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
About five months. I tend to edit as I write, so I would say I came to the finishing line of my novel in five months. After that, I did more editing before turning it over to a freelance editor.

8)What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Hard to say because Urban Fantasy books tend to be more romance focused with the vampires as good beings who are unhappy with what they are. Mine is the total opposite of that.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Firstly, I always wanted to write a vampire novel because they are fascinating beings. I was inspired to write this story while watching True Blood last year and I used to fantasize about a sexy vampire coming into my life. But then I realized vampires are evil beings, so from there I wrote about the dilemma and trauma of a young woman discovering her boyfriend is a vampire.

Secondly, I’ve always wondered why vampires seem to elude investigators and hunters despite all the technology out there. It is much easier to track down criminals then compared to 20 years ago, so if vampires existed, wouldn’t they be more easily caught? I would think a vampire would be baffled with the way human technology has evolved, and might feel threatened by it.

10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?It’s quick, gets straight to the point. No over descriptions, and I made sure every scene and every word counted.

Victoria Grefer of the blog, Creative Writing of the Crimson League, nominated me Thursday along with 10 other bloggers. Basically, it is like playing tag where the person nominated must give 11 facts about themselves and answer the 11 questions given to them.

For those of you who do not know, the Liebster Blog Award originated supposedly 2 years ago by a German blogger (“Liebster” means “dearest” in German).

So here goes!

11 questions about moi:

What is your most embarrassing story? I have a lot, so I don’t know where to start! 🙂

What’s the grossest thing you’ve ever eaten? I love sushi, but this one place I bought some from made it taste like plastic.

If you’re an author, who is your favorite character you’ve written about? Why? (Yes, that’s considered one question – get over it.) If you’re not an author, who is your favorite character to read about? (Author & book for that character) and why? Well, I’ve only written one book. But I like Samantha DiCarlo, who is the friend/roommate of the protagonist in my novel, “The Dark Proposal”. Samantha is outspoken and doesn’t take crap from anyone, which is awesome.

What is your favorite book series? The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, though Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Dart books are amazing.

Do you prefer salty or sweet? Sweet!

e-book or printed book? Printed 🙂

Biggest celebrity crush? I guess like so many women, Johnny Depp!

What is your all time favorite movie? The Lord of the Rings

Who is your favorite artist/band? U2

Are you a Black Friday shopper? Oh heck no!

What is your favorite type of hero to write/read about? Someone who gains strength or personal growth after facing adversity.

Here are the 11 facts about me:

1) I share a birthday with Johnny Depp, which makes me like him more!
2) I used to have a fashion blog. Well, I still do, but I hardly work on it anymore. Its just me posting dresses and gowns, oohing and ahhing at them
3) I enjoy non-fiction books as well as fiction. My favorite topics are history, religion and spirituality, and current events.
4) If I could live anywhere in the world, it would be in Ireland. Being of Irish descent, I’m naturally drawn to there.
5) My favorite workouts are the type that challenge me physically – such as yoga and Pilates.
6) I have been journaling non-stop since I was 12. I’m currently on my 19th journal.
7) If I were any good at learning languages, I would learn French and Russian, and maybe Mandarin Chinese.
8) As a child, I loved reading The Baby Sitters Club series! My favorite was Dawn.
9) At one point as a kid, I wanted to be a gymnastics photographer. I used to tape a lot of competitions and spend a lot of time pausing each routine to see what the gymnast would look like mid-air.
10) I have a low tolerance for arrogance. It is my least favorite trait in anyone.
11) I once met U2’s Bono! It was in March 2009 outside of the Ed Sullivan Theater where the band was performing on the David Letterman Show. I was one of many in a crowd and Bono was signing as many CDs as he could, but he got mine!